It is well known that the average person tends to reposition himself or herself several times per hour while sleeping. One common reason for a person to reposition himself or herself during sleep is to relieve pressure points. No matter what position a person assumes while sleeping, that position causes pressure points to develop and the longer a person remains in that same position, the more noticeable and painful the pressure points become. However, repositioning, e.g., rolling over, to relieve pressure points can interfere with the restful sleep of a person and that of their partner. It is therefore desirable to have an apparatus that helps to alleviate these pressure points without the need of a sleeper to reposition during sleep.
In healthcare, pressure points can lead to bed sores, also known as pressure ulcers. At best, these are an annoyance and, at worst, they can lead to infections that may become fatal. In particular, sores are a problem in paralyzed patients and, due to commonly suppressed or compromised immune systems, can put them at risk of infections. Infectious agents in hospital and health care settings are common and can be resistant to common treatments. To counter and minimize the risk of sores and accompanying infections, nursing protocols typically dictate that at risk patients should be turned every two hours, around the clock. In a hospital setting, this contributes to health care costs. In a home setting, it can lead to interrupted sleep on the part of patients and caregivers. In both settings, turning a patient can contribute to other health conditions, such as lower back strain. It is therefore desirable to have an apparatus that helps alleviate bed sores without the need for as frequent turning of patients.
Further, it is well known that a person's sleeping position can have an effect on a number of conditions, including snoring, gall bladder function, Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease, heart burn, intestinal gas, cardio rehabilitation, and patients recovering from burns and surgical incisions. A person may be required to sleep in a certain position due to these and similar conditions which can increase the likelihood of pressure points and discomfort. Alternatively, a person's sleeping position may exacerbate or negatively affect these conditions and similar conditions. Periodic adjustment of a sleeper's position can help reduce discomfort and some of the negative effects and conditions that arise from maintaining certain sleeping positions. It is therefore desirable to have an apparatus that helps decrease discomfort and negative health effects associated with certain sleeping positions.
Periodic adjustment of the angle of a person's mattress or a portion of the mattress can help alleviate pressure points, reduce the frequency of turning patients to prevent bed sores, and decrease discomfort and negative health effects of particular sleeping positions by changing the position and distribution of forces on the body resulting in a more restful sleep. Heretofore, many devices have been developed and commercialized to address changing positions while sleeping. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,768 discloses a method for preventing bedsores which includes rocking the patient slowly at a rocking cycle period in the range of 1 to 120 minutes. Preferably, the entire bed is rocked using a hydraulic system characterized by synchronous motion of the master cylinders and the slave cylinders at the desired rocking cycle period. A pump is disclosed characterized by 4 master cylinders for conducting the rocking. The system constitutes an attachment for a bed such as hospital bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,146,662 discloses a self-leveling bed support frame that provides an automatically-controlled level sleeping surface in the sleeper cab of a semi-trailer rig. The self-leveling bed support frame is comprised first of a rectangular lower frame with four pneumatic actuators in each corner. A rectangular upper frame is above the lower frame and engages at its corners with the pneumatic actuators. An automatic control system operates the four pneumatic actuators to maintain a level upper frame by utilizing two pair of mercury switches disposed on two independent control axes. Each pair of mercury switches control the positioning of a pair of the pneumatic actuators, disposed at either end of a diagonal across the upper frame. An adjustable seat back assembly is also provided which can elevate one end of a mattress on the upper frame, using a pair of scissor jack mechanisms, which provide fine control when utilized with a pneumatically controlled actuator.
U.S. Publication No. 2009/0211022 A1 discloses a device for a cot or child's bed that comprises a mattress support mounted on springs. Actuation means is provided to roll and/or rock the mattress support on the springs such that the side portions and/or the end portions of the mattress support repeatedly rise and fall. The actuation means could, for example, comprise a linear actuator, a swash plate mechanism or an air bag. Each of the above documents are hereby incorporated herein by reference, in their entireties.
However, each one of these references suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages: they are cumbersome, are elaborate, are expensive, have high manufacturing costs, lack programmable capability, lack a variety of programming choices, and lack ease of control. Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus and method that is of simple and inexpensive design which costs little to manufacture, install, and maintain. Additionally, there is a need for an apparatus and method that allows a sleeper access to a variety of programs for mattress adjustment and is easy to program and control.